Extending the control of antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic exchange coupling on perpendicular magnetization into the soft magnetic regime

Antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic exchange coupling is known for its pinning effect on the magnetic hard layer through coercivity enhancement or exchange bias. This study reports its effect on controlling perpendicular magnetization in the soft magnetic regime. In a series of Ni ₇₈Fe ₂₂(Py)/Mn bilayers, we demonstrate that the magnetization, coercivity, and thermal stability of perpendicular anisotropy can be controlled by varying the thicknesses of the Py and Mn layers, based on the competition between the in-plane anisotropy of the Py layer and the out-of-plane-oriented Py-Mn exchange coupling. This offers a new possibility for the design of magnetic free layers in perpendicular-based magnetic logical devices.